Circular lighting fixture



March 17, 1959 B. L. FRY

CIRCULAR LIGHTING FIXTURE Filed Feb. 13. 1957 INVENTOR BEN L. FRY

TORNEY United States PatentO CIRCULAR LIGHTING FIXTURE Ben L. Fry, St.Louis, Mo.

Application February 13, 1957, Serial No. 639,876 4 Claims. (Cl.240-51.12)

This invention relates to fluorescent lighting fixtures, but moreespecially to such fixtures having circular lighting tubes associatedtherewith, and has among its general objects the production of such afixture that will be neat and attractive in appearance, easily andeconomically made, safe and satisfactory in performance, and which willbe otherwise efficient for the purpose for which it is intended.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to so construct such afixture that it will promote such a flow of air therethrough as to avoidoverheating of the several parts of the same, thus not only prolongingthe efiective life of the fixture and the electrical controlsincorporated therein, but will avoid any likelihood of a fireoriginating through overheating of the parts.

Another object of the invention is to so construct a fixture of the kindset forth, that there will be two main parts that comprise the fixture,and with said parts so shaped and inter-related that the variouselectrical controls will be contained between said parts so that thefixture part that is viewed after mounting the fixture willsubstantially-entirely conceal such controls.

An added object of my invention is to so construct such a fixture thatthe means interlocking the two fixture, parts will at the same timeaccurately space said parts to provide an air passage into the fixturethrough said space.

Another object of the invention is to so construct a,

fixture of the kind described that one of the pair of principal parts ofthe same will have an approximately annular trough into which a circularfluorescent lighting tube may be suspended, so that the light rays fromsaid tube are thereby angularly reflected from the opposite faces ofsaid trough and thereby most efficiently make use of said light.

Many other objects and advantages of the construction herein shown anddescribed will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which thisinvention appertains, all as will be more clearly apparent from thedisclosures herein given.

To this end my invention consists in the novel construction,arrangement, combination and form of parts that are herein shown anddescribed, all as will be more clearly pointed out in the specificationand claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters represent like orcorresponding parts throughout the views,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the device;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section view of the same;

Figure 3 is another plan view of the device as viewed from below; and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic showing of the electric controls and basicwiring for the fixture.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein I have illustrateda preferred embodiment of my invention, there is shown an electriclighting fixture that is especially intended for use with a circularfluorescent lighting tube as its source of light.

The fixture includes a pair of dish-shaped parts made 2,878,372 PatentedMar. 17, 1959 as stampings or otherwise, there being an upper element 1and a lower element 2.

Said lower element is so shaped as to form a central substantially flator horizontal wall portion 3, and there is an annular trough-shapedportion 4 that extends radially outwardly, from said central portion.The circular fluorescent lighting tube 5 is suspended from said element2 so as to lie between the inner and outer bounding edges of said troughportion, somewhat as shown, so that all light rays impinging on saidtrough surface will be reflected angularly downwardly into the room areathat is intended to be lighted, said element 2 having an opening 6through which a plug 7 extends for detachable and replaceableinterconnection with said light tube.

A plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart holes 18 are providedthrough said trough, so positioned that they will be approximatelyimmediately below the rim portion of said cover when the latter is inassembled position, and these holes will also be approximately directlyabove the annulus of said tube.

The upper element 1 is substantially shaped like an inverted saucer asshown, so that when assembled to said lower element there will be astorage space of suflicient size therebetween to receive the electrical.controls of the fixture, said space being deeper at its central portionand shallower adjacent the rim of said element 1. An electrical ballast8 is carried by said element 1 by fasteners 9 through the latter, atsubstantially the central part ofthe under surface of said element,thereby securing the best possible balancing of the fixture, for it isto be remembered that these ballasts are relatively heavy as compared tothe other elements within the fixture.

With certain types of fluorescent lighting tubes, a starter 10 isneeded, and the same is removably insertible into a base element 11mounted at the upper face of the trough portion of the lower element 2,by fastenings 12, said insertion being through holes through said element 1,

A plurality of circumferentially arranged vents or openings 13 are madethrough said element 1, said openings being preferably nearer the centerof said element than they are to the rim of the same.

A series of downwardly projecting offsets 14 are made adjacent the rimof said element 1 and are circumferentially spaced apart on said rimportion somewhat as shown, so that when said element is superimposed onthe lower element, as shown in the drawings, the upper and lowerelements are vertically or axially spaced apart a distance that ispredetermined by the amount of offset of said projections, therebyproviding a passageway for air that will finally be discharged outwardlythrough said vents 13.

Obviously, due to such air travel through the fixture, the electricalcontrols in the space between said top and bottom elements will tend tobe kept cooled, and minimize the likelihood of overheating of saidelements of the controls. Additional openings 18 are directly above thetube so that the heat rising from the latter will pass through theseopenings and from thence be dissipated to the atmosphere.

Thus, with the various holes, vents and. passageways hereinbeforedisclosed, there will be no such build up and retention of heat withinthe fixture as might be sufficient to become dangerous. The ceilingimmediately above the fixture will not become burned, and there will beno scorching, charting, nor even a heat discoloration to said wallsurface, inasmuch as heating is kept within safe limits.

Bolts 15 may be used at said offsets for interconnecting the elements 1and 2 and maintain the desired spaced relationship therebetween, andsaid bolts may also carry the spring clips 16 therebelow for detachableengagement with said lighting tube.

The central depression of said lower element 2 might be termed a well,inasmuch as certain of the electrical controls extend thereinto asindicated in Fig. 2.

Assembly of a fixture of this construction is relatively simple inasmuchas the electrical controls are affixed prior to interconnection of thetwo elements 1 and 2, and access to the interior of the fixture issimilarly simply done upon separation of the parts, so that there is adistinct advantage in the manufacturing and maintenance of suchfixtures. After pulling the plug from the lighting tube and looseningfasteners 15, either element 1 or 2 may be separated from the other toafford access to the space between them for repair, replacement,inspection or the like.

Although this fixture is shown as provided with a screw-in type of plug16 for energizing connection to a source of electrical current, it isobvious that any at the conventional types of connections to such sourceof electrical energy may be used from the conductors 1717 indicated inFig. 4.

I claim:

1. In a lighting fixture for holding a circular fluorescent light tube,a cover almost entirely closed across its top and having electricalcontrols secured to its interior wall with electrical conductors leadingoutwardly through said cover for energizing connection to a source ofelectric current, an inverted dished one-piece bowl spaced entirelybelow said cover and projecting radially therebeyond and shaped toprovide an annularly extending lightrefiecting trough at its under sideand is adapted to re ceive and snpportingly suspend said tube in saidtrough, and means interconnecting and suspending said bowl from saidcover in vertically spaced-apart relation to provide an air spacebetween the entire opposed faces of said bowl and cover, the upper faceof said bowl forming a central well closed across its bottom andreceiving and concealing said electrical controls therein when the partsare in operative position.

2. A fixture as set forth in claim 1, but further characterized in thatsaid cover has vent holes therethrough intermediate its rim and centerfor communication with said air space.

3. In a lighting fixture for holding a circular fluorescent light tube,a cover having electrical controls secured to its interior wall withelectrical conductors leading outwardly through said cover forenergizing connection to a source of electric current, said cover havingair vent holes therethrough intermediate its rim and central portion, aninverted one-piece dished bowl spaced entirely below said cover andshaped to form an annularly extending light-reflecting trough at itsunder side to receive said tube, the central portion of said bowl beingdirected downwardly and closed across its bottom to form a well thereat,and means detachably suspending said bowl from said cover with apredetermined spacing therebetween to provide an air space between theentire opposed areas of said bowl and cover and that communicates withsaid vent holes.

4. In a lighting fixture for holding a fluorescent circular light tube,a cover having electricalcontrols including a ballast therein,downwardly projecting offsets circumferentially spaced about the rim ofsaid cover end engaging a bowl therebelow to provide an air spacebetween their entire opposed faces, an inverted onepiece bowl having adownwardly extending central portion entirely closed across its bottomand open across its top to form a well that is shaped to receive andconceal said controls while the cover is superimposed on said bowl, saidbowl having an annularly-extending inverted trough at its under sideextending from the bottom of said well to adjacent the rim of said bowlso that the divergent walls of said trough form a lightreflectingsurface for said circular light tube suspended between the divergentwalls, a series of air-passage openings circumferentially arrangedthrough said trough above said tube and lying inwardly of the cover rimand communicating with the space between said cover and bowl,

and means inserted through said offsets and detachably securing saidbowl and cover together as a unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,462,714 Bohl Feb. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 575,817 Great Britain Mar.6, 1946 702,677 Great Britain Jan. 20, 1954

